Asheford Institute Of Antiques - Antique & Appraisal Home Study Course
  • Home
  • Free Book
  • About The School
    • Our Objectives & Faculty
  • Course Prospectus
    • Course Outline
    • taking the e-Course
    • 15 Teaching Aids
  • Become An Appraiser
    • USPAP Testing & PACC
    • AIA Appraisers - National Columnists
    • Articles From The Founder
  • Start An Antiques & Vintage Business
    • FAQ's About The Course
    • 2022 Survey Results
    • Our Top Web Picks
  • Conduct Estate Sales
    • Student Testimonials
    • Articles About Asheford
  • Course Tuition
    • Our Pledge To You
    • Asheford News-Ticker Headlines
  • Course Enrollment
    • International Students
  • Student News
    • Student Essays
  • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy & TOU
  • 2022s Top Antique And Vintage Trends
  • Home
  • Free Book
  • About The School
    • Our Objectives & Faculty
  • Course Prospectus
    • Course Outline
    • taking the e-Course
    • 15 Teaching Aids
  • Become An Appraiser
    • USPAP Testing & PACC
    • AIA Appraisers - National Columnists
    • Articles From The Founder
  • Start An Antiques & Vintage Business
    • FAQ's About The Course
    • 2022 Survey Results
    • Our Top Web Picks
  • Conduct Estate Sales
    • Student Testimonials
    • Articles About Asheford
  • Course Tuition
    • Our Pledge To You
    • Asheford News-Ticker Headlines
  • Course Enrollment
    • International Students
  • Student News
    • Student Essays
  • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy & TOU
  • 2022s Top Antique And Vintage Trends

Vintage Footwear Sells Big

12/5/2019

 
Picture 1972 Nike Track Shoe Sells For Just Under $500,000
Florida - It's not everyday that one thinks of a ratty old pair of track sneakers as being worth as much as a house, but that's exactly what happened at a Sotheby's auction in New York recently.

Falling just under the hammer near $500,000, a pair of (used) Nike track shoes designed by company co-founder Bill Bowerman, set a whopping new record for everyday footwear to be sold at a public auction.

While there was obviously some "fiscal" provenance attached to the sale, as the shoes were associated with Mr. Bowerman, industry insiders were nevertheless stunned by the massive amount paid by a collector in Canada, who planned on displaying the shoes in his car museum outside of Toronto. Less than four years prior, an almost identical pair of the waffle-iron sneakers sold on eBay for just over $11,000, which at the time also came as a shock to many textile collectors. 

However, moving from eBay into the big leagues of Sotheby's in such a short a period of time is a clear indicator of just how popular this form of vintage collectible has become. Twenty-four year old Matt Dixon, a young antique dealer in England, who's been collecting for years wasn't that surprised when he heard the news.
"Anything with a big name, a designer name, anything that's got any real heritage and credentials is always going to be sought after because it'll always have value."

While this sentiment is often true of most top quality antique and vintage items, it's rarely been applied to everyday footwear in the same manner. Matt says he thinks of sneakers as an investment, just like all his other antiques. "Buying things like these trainers, there's no doubt they will go up in value again in another 10-15 years' time when they come back on sale."

For older dealers, the new footwear trend (and prices) can be hard to fathom at times. Gordon White, a long-time textile dealer and picker from New York, says he heard about the trend from his son a couple years ago, when he traded a pair of old Converse basketball shoes for a hundred-dollar gift card to a colleague at a restaurant where they both worked. "I was simply flabbergasted," said White, "They didn't even have laces in them!" Since that time White says he's gone on to collecting vintage footwear full-time. "I've added this to my storefront display in a big way," says White, who concedes that his son's good business sense has been responsible for a huge uptick in the stores' overall sales. "Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that something so smelly and dirty could be worth so much, but I guess that just proves that old dogs can still be taught a trick or two."

PictureGucci Thrift Find For $9, Sold For $100
Robert Franks, one of the founders of Kick Game, a British company that specializes in rare and vintage footwear, says he thinks that most people simply aren't aware of how big the market really is for this kind of enterprise. "The secondary selling industry for trainers is massive - it's like watches and wine - and is the largest unregulated market in the world." Franks says that when a well-known company releases a limited-edition shoe, they'll often try to buy the entire lot in anticipation of strong short-term and long-term appreciation. "It's just gone berserk in the last few years. People end up camping outside shops just to get their hands on these shoes because they know as soon as they walk out of the shop with them, they are worth potentially three or four times the original price."

For others in the antique and vintage industry, coming on board with the new footwear revolution has taken some time. "I bought two pairs of loafers for my husband who didn't like them," says Jessica Alford, a regular on Etsy who shops almost exclusively in textiles, "but when I examined them closely, they turned out to be rare Gucci's, which I later sold for ten times what I'd paid." Alford admits she doesn't always win on the deal, but that she's getting much better at spying what will sell and what won't.

For those dealers still contemplating whether or not to jump into the burgeoning vintage and collectible shoe market,
Noah Wunsch, Sotheby’s Global Head of eCommerce, probably summed it up best when asked about the auction houses' premiere sneaker sale, "This was our first trainer auction, and the incredible results are a sure sign that the market is growing, and that collectors are taking notice of trainers as objects of design. It's worthwhile checking to see if you've got any rare pairs stashed away."

That's certainly some sage advice for us here at the Institute also, as we're pretty sure there are likely to be more than a few people around the world sitting on a small fortune in a shoe-box tucked away in the back of their closet. 
​
- AIA Staff Writers
​


Picture
NOTE: For readers seeking more information about the Asheford Institute Of Antiques distance-learning program on professional-level appraising, the study of antiques, collectibles, vintage and mid-century modern items, please click here to visit the school's Home Page. 

Should you have additional questions about the Asheford program, you can also write to the school at: 
asheford@mail.com or call the Registrar's Office toll-free at: 1-877-444-4508


Comments are closed.

    AIA Staff

    We're providing our students and reader's with the latest breaking news on events and happenings that we think might be of interest to both collectors and dealers alike. Including changes within the world of antiques, vintage, collectibles and appraising that might just have an effect on your bottom line. We're also interested in hearing from you - so if you've got a great newsworthy story, let us know, and you just might find it here!

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Legal Disclaimer: Extraneous opinions, statements and comments made by individuals represented within these posts do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute. The publication naming of specific business entities, organizations, and concerns, contained herein, in no way represents an endorsement or recommendation of services or products by the Institute. Publicly identifiable information contained herein (including, but not limited to contact information), has been intentionally limited where possible, due to privacy and legal concerns related to the digital dissemination of information through online means. All views expressed herein are those of their respective owners. The Institute is in no way responsible, financially or otherwise, for the accuracy or validity of statements contained within published posts from sources that originate and appear outside of the written and expressed views of those submitted by the Institute.

Free Prospectus Book

Picture
To receive your free hard-copy Course Prospectus Book about the Asheford Program (or to ask us a question), simply click on the
link below:
​ FREE BOOK

Social Media:

>>  Facebook
>>  ​Instagram
>>  Twitter

To Contact Us

Picture
Admissions Office & Information Hotline
Toll Free: 877-444-4508
Fax 705-645-2380
Web Page Form: Contact Us
E
mail: info@asheford.com

US Offices:
Asheford Institute of Antiques
981 Highway 98 E. Ste. 3, Dept. 275
Destin, FL 32541-2525

Canadian Offices:
Asheford Institute of Antiques
Ste. 313
200 Manitoba Street
Bracebridge, ON P1L 2E2
T. 705-645-5589

Our Friends & Awards

Picture
"International Antiques & Arts Society"
Member & Award Winner

Picture
"Antiques & Collectibles National Association"

Picture
"Association Of Restorers"

Home  |  Privacy Policy & TOU  |  Contact Us  
Copyright© 1994-2023 Asheford.com. All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • Free Book
  • About The School
    • Our Objectives & Faculty
  • Course Prospectus
    • Course Outline
    • taking the e-Course
    • 15 Teaching Aids
  • Become An Appraiser
    • USPAP Testing & PACC
    • AIA Appraisers - National Columnists
    • Articles From The Founder
  • Start An Antiques & Vintage Business
    • FAQ's About The Course
    • 2022 Survey Results
    • Our Top Web Picks
  • Conduct Estate Sales
    • Student Testimonials
    • Articles About Asheford
  • Course Tuition
    • Our Pledge To You
    • Asheford News-Ticker Headlines
  • Course Enrollment
    • International Students
  • Student News
    • Student Essays
  • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy & TOU
  • 2022s Top Antique And Vintage Trends